John McCauley (referee)

John McCauley (1945 – June 3, 1989)[1] was a Canadian ice hockey official who worked as a National Hockey League (NHL) referee from 1966 to 1981.

For other people named John McCauley, see John McCauley (disambiguation).
John McCauley
Born 1945
Ontario, Canada
Died June 3, 1989 (aged 44)
Ontario, Canada
Position Linesman
Playing career 1966–1981

Early life

McCauley was raised in Brampton, where he was a hockey goaltender and lacrosse player. In 1959, he won a Canadian Junior Lacrosse championship as a member of the Brampton Excelsiors.[2]

Career

During his career, McCauley officiated 442 regular season games and 12 playoff games. In 1979, McCauley was assaulted by a fan after a match between the NHL All-Stars and the Soviet Union and sustained a serious injury to his right eye. Although he returned to refereeing, McCauley's depth perception was never the same and he retired from refereeing two years later.[3]

After being appointed assistant director of officiating in June 1979,[4] McCauley worked as the director of officiating from 1986 until his death in 1989.[1]

Personal life

McCauley died at age 44 after complications from an emergency gall bladder surgery.[5] McCauley's son, Wes McCauley, was drafted in the eighth round by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. Wes eventually followed in his father's footsteps and is currently an NHL referee, having refereed his first NHL match in 2003 and being promoted to full-time status in 2005.[6]

References
  1. Matsumoto, Rick (June 3, 1989). "NHL's John McCauley was 'a players' referee'". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
  2. "John McCauley | NHLOA Alumni | NHL Officials Association". NHLOA. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  3. Bock, Hal (July 7, 1982). "Is law and order breaking down in hockey?". The Gadsden Times. AP. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
  4. "John McCauley dies suddenly". Toronto Star. June 2, 1989. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
  5. "HockeyBuzz.com - Paul Stewart - 25 Years Later: Remembering John McCauley". www.hockeybuzz.com. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  6. "NHL promotes referees from AHL ranks". The American Hockey League. August 23, 2005. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
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